


Ye Cannae Change The Laws Of Attraction

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fandom Loves Puerto Rico, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Past Torture, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Past Riley/Sam Wilson, Shameless Smut, but there aren't any Star Trek characters in it, with star trek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 22:59:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12804234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: There's a lot of friction--in more ways than one--between First Officer Bucky Barnes and Chief Science Officer Sam Wilson of the USS Avenger. But in space, things can change in a heartbeat.





	Ye Cannae Change The Laws Of Attraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heuradys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heuradys/gifts).



> My second fic for my FLPR bidder heuradys, who wanted Sam/Bucky in space. Thank you for the bid and the amazing prompt!!
> 
> Thank you also to ediblecrayon for the cheerleading, and lots of thanks to dracusfyre for the beta. I added some post-beta so there may be some lingering typos.

All was quiet on the Starship Avenger. They had just picked up some supplies from Starbase Deep Space Four, and were on their way to take their turn patrolling the edges of the Neutral Zone. 

Captain Steve Rogers was slouched in the Captain’s chair, yawning, and his First Officer Bucky Barnes was at the front of the bridge, piloting the damn thing. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he really loved this old lady. Sure, he'd cuss her out when things went wrong, but there was nothing Bucky loved more than watching the stars fly past on the viewscreen. As Chief Navigation Officer he had the privilege of piloting the second best ship in Starfleet. The best, of course, was the USS Enterprise, but that ship had James Kirk at the helm. Not that there was much to choose between Kirk and Steve--both good men who would fight you in an instant if you looked at anyone on the crew the wrong way. 

“Captain, I'm detecting an anomaly not far from here,” Sam Wilson, Chief Science Officer and major pain in Bucky's ass, announced into the silence, and Bucky felt the atmosphere on the bridge change to something more tense. 

“Oh the viewscreen, lieutenant,” Steve said, his tone clipped. The picture on the viewscreen changed from the stars to a single image of a damaged passenger ship, leaking radiation from the warp core into space. “Any signs of life on board?”

“Yes, Captain. I'm detecting several lifeforms.”

“Then we'd better help. This has just become a rescue mission, folks. Bucky, plot a course for the damaged ship.”

“Yes, Captain.” Bucky entered the coordinates and piloted the Avenger towards the unknown vessel. 

As they approached, Steve sat forward in his chair. “Hailing frequencies open, Mr Wilson?” 

“Transmitting on all frequencies, Captain.”

“This is Captain Steve Rogers of the USS Avenger. We are able to assist you and your crew.”

There was a crackle, before they heard a faint voice. “Captain Steve Rogers, this is Admiral Nicholas J Fury of Starfleet. I was overseeing the piloting of a new class of ship from Starbase Deep Space Five when the warp core exploded taking half the crew with it. Luckily the rest of us remain unharmed--for now. Can you beam us aboard?”

“Sure thing, Admiral. I'll come meet you. Rogers out.” Steve turned to Sam, and murmured, “Mr Wilson, please check this admiral’s credentials and send them to my PADD?”

“Yes, Captain.”

Steve grabbed his PADD and nodded at Bucky, who stood and followed Steve to the turbolift. Once inside, Bucky looked questioningly at Steve. “You worried he's not legit?”

Steve shrugged. “You never know out here. Rogers to sickbay.”

“Hey Cap, Bruce here.”

“Dr Banner, we have some guests coming aboard who might have been exposed to unknown levels of radiation. Can you meet us in the transporter room in five?”

“Sure thing, Cap. Bruce out.”

When they arrived at the transporter room, the Chief Engineering Officer, Tony Stark, was at the controls. “I've got five to beam up, Captain.”

Steve nodded. “Energize.”

The transporter pads glowed, and they watched as the atoms of their guests rearranged themselves. A man with an eye patch stepped forward, holding out his hand. “Captain Rogers? I'm Admiral Fury. We're glad you found us in time.”

As they shook hands, the ship rocked slightly, enough to almost tip those standing off balance “Rogers to bridge--Sam, what the hell was that?”

“The ship--it exploded, Captain! Our guests get here okay?”

“Yeah, just in time.” A few of their visitors looked slightly shaken, and Steve smiled kindly at them. “Looks like we showed up at the perfect moment. Admiral, this is my First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Bucky Barnes.”

“Good to meet you, Lieutenant Commander.” He turned to his crew. “This is the captain of that ship, Captain Maria Hill. Her First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Sharon Carter. Chief Engineering Officer, Leo Fitz. And my own right-hand-man, Commander Philip Coulson.”

The doors to the transporter room slid open, and Dr Banner stalked in, brandishing his medical tricorder. “This is… Dr Banner…” Steve said hesitantly as Bruce ignored them and went straight to work, scanning each of the new arrivals. 

When he'd finished he stepped back, looking satisfied. “Clean bill of health for you all. You don't have high levels of radiation, and everything else seems to be fine. If you start feeling nauseated, come see me in sickbay.” He nodded at them all and marched out the transporter room again. 

Bucky saw Steve hide a smile. “Well, if you'll all follow me, I'll find a yeoman to show you to the guest quarters,” Steve said, and the admiral nodded. The group trooped out, and Bucky and Tony raised their eyebrows at one another. Just another exciting day on the USS Avenger. 

***

Alpha shift over, Bucky was looking forward to food, a shower, and bed, in that order. But as he passed the science station, Wilson glanced up at him. “I'm going to go to the gym,” he told Bucky. “Want a rematch?”

“You just want your chance to beat me, Wilson, which we both know you can't,” Bucky scoffed. 

“Yeah? I'm thinking last time was probably a fluke, actually.”

There was a challenge in those deep brown eyes, and Bucky was never one to walk away from a challenge. “Fine. Meet you there in ten.”

He went straight to the gym and got changed into shorts and a t-shirt, then went out to wait on Wilson. He was in the middle of stretching when Wilson turned up, similarly attired. “You ready?” Wilson asked, and Bucky nodded. 

“Let's do it.”

Five minutes later, Bucky had him pinned. And again two minutes after that. 

“How the fuck, Barnes?” Wilson growled, voice muffled from where Bucky was pushing his face into the mat with his cybernetic arm. 

“Do you yield?” Bucky asked smugly, as Wilson writhed angrily below him. He felt his cock start to stir at the friction and willed it down. There'd be plenty of time for that later. 

“Fuck. You.”

“I'm not letting you off this mat until you yield.”

“Ugh, fine! Fine, fuck you, I yield. You happy?” Bucky couldn't see Wilson's face but could tell he was pouting. 

“Thrilled.” Bucky stood up and held out a hand to help Wilson up, which he ignored. “Spot me on the bench?”

Wilson rolled his eyes but nodded, and they wandered together over to the weight bench. Bucky had to wonder why Wilson kept challenging him to wrestling matches when he knew he'd lose given Bucky's advantage. His cybernetic arm gave him a little extra strength, as well as an unbreakable grip. Maybe Wilson just enjoyed it as foreplay as much as Bucky did. 

When their workout was finished, they headed to the showers. It was too early for most people, so the locker room was deserted, and Bucky had no sooner slicked his hands up with soap than he felt a warm body press against his back, and a warm mouth press kisses against his neck. 

Bucky turned around to face Wilson, smirking. “If I'd known getting beaten would turn you on like this I'd’ve done it more often,” he teased, and Wilson growled. 

“Shut up, Barnes,” he said roughly, before capturing Bucky's mouth in a harsh kiss. Bucky moaned into it, grasping hold of Wilson's hard cock and stroking him with a soapslick hand. “Oh, fuck, yeah, touch me like that, Barnes, you fucking love my cock, don't you?”

Bucky moaned in agreement as he felt Wilson return the favor, stroking him just the way he liked it. Half the thrill was knowing they could get caught at any moment by another crew member; another big part of it was that they didn't like each other, which somehow made it more exciting. Their liaisons had started not long after Wilson had joined the crew a few months previous, when they'd been left alone together in one of the conference rooms, snarling at each other about details of the Prime Directive. One minute they'd been in each other's faces, yelling; the next, Bucky had been on his back on the table, pants and underwear pulled down to his ankles as Wilson stroked him while kissing him furiously. 

“Come on, Wilson, fucking come for me,” Bucky panted against Wilson's mouth, rivulets of water running down his face. “Want you to, want you to come all over me, so fucking hot…”

“Fu-uck,” Wilson groaned, and Bucky felt spurts of warm come against his skin. He could feel his own orgasm start to build, and began to fuck Wilson's fist as he kissed him hungrily. “Yeah, you're so desperate for it, aren't you?” Wilson murmured. “You're gonna come all over yourself, aren't you? You fucking love my hand on you, don't you?”

“Fuck, yes, oh my god, _fuck_ ,” Bucky groaned as his orgasm overtook him and he came hard enough that his legs almost gave out. But Wilson caught him just in time with an arm around his waist, and they kissed under the soft spray of the shower until Bucky started to shiver. 

They dressed in silence, but as he left, Wilson called out, “Same time tomorrow?” and Bucky grinned. 

***

As Chief Science Officer, Sam liked to think that he was one of the more intelligent members of the crew. Not just in terms of equations and science, but also in terms of common sense, which was a different kind of intelligence altogether. 

Sam had worked damn hard to get where he was today, and he wasn't about to throw it away for a snot nosed little fucker like Bucky Barnes, who had obviously only been made first officer because his childhood best friend was captain. At least, that's what Sam told himself after each of their encounters. _No more,_ he'd think to himself. But it would always happen again, against his better intentions. 

The problem was--as Sam would only admit to himself in the middle of the night when he was supposed to be sleeping--that maybe he didn't dislike Barnes as much as he'd let Barnes think. Maybe didn't dislike him at all, actually, which really was a problem given that Barnes clearly didn't like him. Liked his dick, liked Sam's hands on him, but actually liking Sam? No. He'd made that clear. 

So Sam liked Barnes. _Wanted_ Barnes. Fraternizing between colleagues was definitely not encouraged by Starfleet, but when it happened between people close in rank they were less likely to intervene. But of course, that was only really with relationships. God only knew what was going on between him and Barnes. 

Sam sighed as he brushed his teeth, getting ready for Alpha shift. He wondered what it would be like to wake up, Barnes sleepsoft beside him, and wake him up with sleepy, morning breath-y kisses. 

Sam shook himself roughly. That was never going to happen. They weren't tender. They weren't in love. They were furtive handjobs when they thought no one was looking; they were blowing each other in a bathroom stall, trying to keep silent so no one would suspect. They weren't boyfriends. They weren't anything. 

There hadn't been anyone really since Riley had… but that was better not thought about. 

Sam yawned and stretched, before pulling on his uniform, smiling at himself in the mirror. He knew he made Starfleet uniform look damn good. 

When he reached the bridge, most of the rest of Alpha shift was already there, with one notable exception. Ten minutes later, a fuzzy looking Barnes--long hair everywhere, shirt askew, clutching a replicated coffee like a lifeline--stumbled out of the turbolift, muttering, “Sorry, sorry, overslept, sorry.”

The pilot from Gamma shift looked amused as he stood to let Barnes sit down at the control panel. Sam wondered if the captain would say anything about the coffee--they weren't really supposed to have hot beverages on deck for safety reasons. He assumed that if the captain did reprimand Barnes, it would be in private. 

Sam furtively watched Barnes as he sipped his coffee, trying not to smile at the state of Barnes's hair. Sam had to wonder if the man even had a mirror in his quarters. He wandered up to the front of the bridge and leaned down to murmur in Barnes's ear. “You might wanna tidy up your hair and shirt in case the admiral decides to come up to the bridge.”

Barnes smiled widely. “Bite me,” he said quietly through his teeth, still smiling, and Sam shrugged and went back to his station. He looked over his shoulder in time to see Barnes straighten his shirt and flatten his wild hair with his fingers, and hid a grin. 

The admiral did, in fact, come to the bridge, along with his ‘right hand man’, Commander Coulson. 

“How long until we reach Deep Space Five?” the admiral asked Steve, who smiled. 

“Only a few more hours, Admiral. Don't worry. We'll get you back safe.”

“I don't doubt it, Captain. It's a fine crew you have here. Quite a young crew too, for the most part.”

“Yes, sir. Many of us were only in our first year of Starfleet when the fleet was destroyed by Nero.”

The admiral nodded. “Yes, Starfleet is still recovering from that tragedy.” 

He spent some time going around the bridge, asking everyone their name and function. When Sam told the admiral his name, Fury narrowed his eye. 

“Sam Wilson? I knew of a Sam Wilson, an amazing pilot. He and his copilot Riley Armstrong ran one of the most dangerous missions I've ever heard of.”

Sam looked at the floor. “Uh, yes, sir. That was me.”

“I was under the impression that this Sam Wilson took the command track, not the science track.”

“I took both, sir. Keeping my options open.”

The admiral looked at him thoughtfully. “Then I'm sorry for what happened to your friend.”

“Thank you,” Sam managed, and the admiral thankfully moved on. He looked up and saw both the captain and Barnes looking at him curiously, but he avoided their gaze and turned back to his station. 

As he lay in bed that night, it all flooded back to him and he saw it all play out again on the back of his eyelids--their last mission together; Riley laughing and wisecracking as they worked together to shoot down the Klingon ships; the console exploding in Riley's face when they were hit…

Sam squeezed his eyes tight shut, as though he could block out the memories that way. That didn't work--only made it worse--and he flung his legs over the side of the bed, tossing his covers off. 

“Computer, lights to forty percent.” The lights came on and he got up to fetch himself a drink of water. He sat back on his bed, sipping slowly at the cool liquid. He and Riley had been everything to each other--friends, brothers in arms, lovers--and his absence still made Sam's heart ache. Sometimes he almost felt that he was betraying Riley's memory with his feelings for Barnes, but in his heart he knew Riley would rip him a new one for feeling like that. 

He could almost see him now, sitting in the half light of the room, saying, “What, you're not following your heart because of some misguided loyalty to my memory? I'm gone, idiot. You deserve to be happy.”

“Do I, though?” Sam whispered into the empty room. “If I'd just been faster maybe I could have saved you.”

There was no reply, of course. Riley was only in his mind now. 

He sighed. “Computer, lights to zero percent.” He sat for a while in the darkness, watching the stars shoot past the window in the hull, before finally giving up and lying back down. 

Sleep was a long time coming that night. 

***

“You look like shit,” Bucky observed as he laid his breakfast tray down on Wilson’s table in the mess hall. 

“Bite me. Are you always this charming first thing in the morning, or…?”

“You know it.” Bucky grinned, trying to hide his genuine worry. They didn't do that. Not them. “So what's up? Too busy experimenting on innocent tribbles to sleep?”

Wilson narrowed his eyes. “That was one time, and I thought it was dead.”

“You'll believe a tribble can fly,” Bucky murmured, grinning even wider when Wilson glared. 

“You're an asshole, Barnes.”

“I'm serious, though, Wilson. What gives? You're not your usual bright eyed, bushy tailed self.” Bucky let some of his worry show through, and Wilson looked surprised. 

“My god, Barnes. If I didn't know any better I'd think you actually cared.” Wilson took a sip of his replicated coffee and grimaced. “Not that it's any of your business, but I had a little trouble sleeping last night.”

Bucky took a deep breath. “Is it because of what the admiral said yesterday? About Riley?” 

Wilson’s expression immediately shuttered, and Bucky was sorry that he'd mentioned it. “That is expressly none of your business,” Wilson said in a low voice. 

In for a penny… “I looked up your file.”

Wilson looked furious, and Bucky suddenly wished he hadn't said anything. “So what, you're poking your nose into my personal business now?”

Bucky held his hands up. “It's public record, what happened. What's not public record is your relationship with him, which I'm assuming from your reaction was closer than just co-pilots.”

“Your time captured by Klingons is mostly public record too,” Wilson snarled, “but you don't see me nosing in it looking at how you got that metal arm of yours.”

“I was just--” Bucky began, cutting himself off with a frustrated sigh. 

Wilson stood, grabbing his tray. “Stay out of my personal business, Barnes,” he muttered. “And go fuck yourself.”

He marched off, and Bucky sighed, slumping in his seat. That definitely could have gone better. And the reference to his time with the Klingons stung too--it was several years ago now, back when he'd just been a fresh-faced lieutenant, but he'd been stupid and got himself captured. They'd tortured him to try and get the location of Starfleet’s new base, and had taken his arm before he was found and rescued. He flexed the fingers on his cybernetic arm and sighed. It had been a long road to recovery, but recover he had. And if he still got a bit twitchy around Klingons, well, who could blame him?

Wilson avoided him the entirety of Alpha shift, then left before Bucky could suggest going to the gym for another round. The following day was the same. 

After a week of being completely blocked by Wilson unless duty demanded they interact, Bucky was going out of his mind. As he lay in bed he considered why it was affecting him so much, given that he didn't even really like Wilson that much. 

Except the more he tried to tell himself that, the more untrue it felt. Sure, Wilson was a pain in his ass, but it was kinda funny. More like just a thing they did rather than something with any real malice behind it. 

And then there was the sex thing. It was a good thing--a great thing even--but Bucky realized suddenly that he was dissatisfied with it as it stood and wanted more. He wanted to be able to kiss Wilson and know that they both meant it. Wanted to lie next to him and hear his deep breathing as he slept. Bucky knew he didn't snore--they'd been on enough away missions together that he would have noticed that by now. 

He wanted to look into Wilson's eyes and see love there, not disdain. 

His eyes widened in the darkness of his room. When the hell had this become a ‘love’ thing? He couldn't love Wilson, could he? He'd thought the increased heart rate and dry mouth whenever he looked at Wilson was just to do with the sex, but what if it wasn't? 

Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow, if Wilson was still being off with him, he'd visit Wilson's quarters after their shift. See if there was any hope for them. 

***

Being apart from Barnes was harder than Sam had anticipated. But he hardened his heart and continued to ignore Barnes as much as possible when they were on the bridge. For Barnes to look into his file, to dig up old hurts, and why? For curiosity's sake? It was completely unforgivable. 

Barnes seemed to be getting the message, although he kept looking at Sam like a wounded puppy, making Sam's heart clench in his chest. If Sam hadn't been more than halfway in love with the man this would be easier. 

Alpha shift had been quiet, so there had been no distractions from the looks that Barnes kept shooting him. Today he had an air of determination about him, and Sam wondered why. 

Shift over, Sam went back to his quarters and showered. He was in the middle of getting dressed again when his door beeped. 

“Enter?” he called, and the door opened to reveal Barnes, who strode in before Sam could tell him to go away. 

Barnes opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, a flush staining his cheeks. “Why, uh, why are you shirtless?” he stammered. 

Sam sighed. “I just showered. Say what you have to say and leave.”

Barnes pursed his lips and took a few steps towards Sam, almost close enough to touch. “I. I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have asked you about Riley. It was really none of my business.”

“It really wasn't.” Sam gave him a searching look. “Why did you, anyway? Curiosity?”

Barnes shrugged. “I guess, maybe, when I saw how you reacted to what the admiral said… I was worried. Wanted to know if you were okay.”

“And you couldn't just ask me?”

Barnes barked out a hoarse laugh. “When have we ever seriously talked about anything outside of the job? You hate me. You'd have laughed in my face.”

“You hate me too.”

“No. No, I--I don't.” Barnes looked at the floor, and Sam’s heart skipped a beat. Barnes glanced back up at him through those long eyelashes, something new in his gaze. “I don't hate you, Sam.”

Sam swallowed at the sound of his first name from Barnes's-- _Bucky's_ \--lips. “You don't?”

“No.” Bucky took another step forward, slowly, as though he could sense how skittish Sam was feeling. Bucky reached out and cupped Sam's cheek, and Sam couldn't help but lean into it. “I'm actually kinda in love with you,” Bucky said quietly, and Sam couldn't stop himself. He surged forward, pulling Bucky in and kissing him deeply. 

“Why didn't you say something?” Sam asked between kisses, and Bucky laughed quietly. 

“You hate me. How could I?”

“Fuck, Bucky, quit saying that. I don't hate you. I'm…” Sam took a deep breath. “I'm kinda in love with you too.”

Bucky's eyes widened and he made a joyful noise in the back of his throat before pulling Sam in for more kisses. “Say my name again.”

“Bucky. Bucky. You have no idea how long I've wanted this, how long I've wanted _you_ \--”

Bucky cut him off with another kiss, and Sam felt like he was out flying among the stars. He could feel his ghosts being put to rest as Bucky's lips moved against his, and smiled against him. 

“Can I stay the night?” Bucky asked softly, and Sam smiled. 

“Stay as long as you want.”


End file.
